No Easy Day

This is a discussion on No Easy Day within the General Firearm Discussion forums, part of the Related Topics category; So I read the book, No Easy Day by Mark Owen. It tells his story about becoming a SEAL, and the events of the Bin ...

No Easy Day

So I read the book, No Easy Day by Mark Owen. It tells his story about becoming a SEAL, and the events of the Bin Laden raid.

It was an interesting read. It was easy to follow and understand. It has some profanity, so parental guidance is suggested.

I've got mixed feelings about the war on terror, the operations in the middle east, and the cost of American freedoms at home. But to talk about those aspects would be political. Mark Owen mentions some of the political process that they had to deal with, but mostly he focuses on his job as a soldier.

I was amazed at what trained men are capable of. It was more mental toughness than physical, something I hadn't really considered.

His weapons of choice were a Sig P226, an HK45, an HK 416 and an HK MP7. All were suppressed.

"A heavily armed citizenry is not about overthrowing the government; it is about preventing the government from overthrowing liberty. A people stripped of their right of self defense is defenseless against their own government." -source

I've only seen the Mark Owen interview but I too am amazed at what those guys are capable of. They face seemingly impossible missions and pull them off nearly perfectly each time despite their original plans typically being wrecked one way or another. I know Mark has caught some heat but the story needed to be told and only strengthened my appreciation for our armed men and women and what they go through to keep us safe.

I have not read the book. Who they are and what they do is amazing and they all hold my respect. However, if this book of his hasn't been "approved" by our military for public disclosure and there's a chance that it could risk the lives of others, (there have been the rumors) by going into too much detail of their operations it would destroy any respect he may have once deserved.

I know that some of the things that those fine teams do need to stay with them and what they do and how they do it is no one's business. I believe that it needs to be that way. If you're a coach with the playbook that doesn't lose games, you damn well don't share it. Except this playbook is a bit more important. OTOH, if you're a Navy Seal, you don't write a book that may risk the lives of your fellow sailors so you don't write what actually happened. Grain of salt. I would hate to think that this guy is a complete idiot.

I read it in a couple of days--enjoyable reading. My favorite story is about the tandem HAHO jump with the tech guy into the Indian Ocean.

I also enjoyed much of the recounting of the banter and practical jokes they played on each other. Although I've never been around the SEALs, it reminded me a whole bunch of the guys I knew when I was assigned to the 1st Special Forces Group---The SF Group at Lewis operated by "Big Boy Rules" just like the SEALs. (I loved it and was forever spoiled--which made for some interesting times when I was back in conventional units).

Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.
- Ronald Reagan